Therapy table

ABSTRACT

A therapy table for massaging the spinal column of a patient while the person is under traction applied to the cranial and pedal extremities. Identical and therefore interchangeable movable carriages are provided for connection to those body extremities. The carriages are separately provided with identical locomotion means for positively moving them to and fro longitudinally of the table, supplemented by means for controlling and limiting and cyclically varying the traction forces applied. Intermediate its ends the table is provided with still another carriage having locomotion means for moving it to and fro longitudinally of the table. This carriage has a vibratory support for rollers that may be brought with variable pressure against the back of a patient lying supine on the table, for massaging the spinal area.

United States Patent Hussey [54] THERAPY TABLE [72] Inventor: Joseph L. Hussey, Costa Mesa, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Pete J. Bonin, Newport Beach, Calif.

[22] Filed: July 24, 1969 211 Appl. No.: 844,581

[52] U.S.'Cl. ..l28/33, 128/57 [51] Int. Cl. ..A6l h 11/00 [58] Field 0fSearch..... ....l28/33,70,71,57,24.2

[45] Feb. 8, 1972 Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Attorney-Fowler, Knobbe & Martens [57] ABSTRACT A therapy table for massaging the spinal column of a patient while the person is under traction applied to the cranial and pedal extremities. Identical and therefore interchangeable movable carriages are provided for connection to those body extremities. The carriages are separately provided with identical locomotion means for positively moving them to and fro longitudinally of the table, supplemented by means for controlling and limiting and cyclically varying the traction forces applied. lntennediate its ends the table is provided with still another carriage having locomotion means for moving it to and fro longitudinally of the table. This carriage has a vibratory support for rollers that may be brought with variable pressure against the back of a patient lying supine on the table, for massaging the spinal area.

41 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures INVENTOR. JOSEPA/ L. #0555) BY Fan/L 2, KNOBBE amomz PATEMTIEU FEW 81972 WW 6 w INVENTOR. L, #1/556 JOjEP/l THERAPY TABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The human anatomy is subject to many discomforts, one of the most common being manifestations of pain in the back, along the spinal column from shoulders to hips. A type of therapeutic treatment that has been found to be beneficial to relieve discomfort in that area is the application of massage, with or without vibration, and with or without heat, along or on both sides of the spinal column. This type of treatment has been found to be generally more effective if some of the vertebrae of the spinal column are somewhat separated by the application of .traction to the body of the patient.

Various types of equipment have been proposed and some used for this type of treatment. Usually the equipment takes the form of a table upon which the patient lies and which has movable attachment devices at the opposite ends of the table for connection to the head and the ankles of the patient for applying traction. Such tables are also equipped with a carriage that is movable longitudinally of the table a sufficient distance to traverse the spinal column of a patient and is provided with rollers that are pressed against the back of the patient. It has been the custom to equip such tables with dissimilar mechanisms for varying the traction applied to the two extremities of the body and further to provide means for moving the massaging carriage which has no similarity whatsoever to either of the traction applying mechanisms. Dissimilarity of the movable mechanisms that engage the body of the patient in one way or another brings about a complexity in the manufacture, maintenance and repair of the tables, resulting in structures which are expensive to produce and expensive to maintain and repair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention a table for giving therapeutic treatment along the spinal column of a human being is provided with three movable carriages equipped with rollers supported on rails that extend longitudinally of the table from end to end. Power means are provided for moving the carriages to and fro longitudinally of the table. Not only are the carriages basically identical but the means for applying power to produce locomotion are identical. In addition the two carriages located at opposite ends of the table, used to apply traction to the body, are provided with identical means for controlling the amount of traction that will be applied at the two extremities of the body. Each of these two carriages is adapted to receive and support a fitting that extends above the surface of the table, one to be connected to a chin strap harness for applying traction to the cranial extremity of the body and the other provided with a member with recesses and straps for fitting to the ankles of the patient. Since these fixtures are removable from the carriages and may be fitted to the carriages by identical supporting means, the carriages may be identical and interchangeable, and one spare carriage may be used for replacement at either end of the table as needed. The intermediate carriage is, of course, differently equipped from the other two, in that it adjustably supports a roller structure for pressing against the back of the patient as it is moved to-and-fro. As previously stated, however, the means of locomotion of this carriage may be the same as that of the other two carriages.

The table is provided with a control panel including all of the controls needed for the variables of the table. The principal ones arethe setting of limits to the amount of traction to traction or pressure, and that are controlled by variable electrical devices, such as potentiometers, associated with the motor control adjustment means on the carriages. With this arrangement there are no mechanical linkages between the control panel and the carriages and the result is a simple and straightforward association of components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description to be interpreted in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a therapy table in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the table with top removed to show the interior of the table;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of one of the traction carriages taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional views through a traction carriage taken substantially on the lines 55 and 66 respectively of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the middle carriage of the table, which is the back-massaging carriage;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 to 11 are electrical circuit schematics of portions of the control and operating circuitry; and FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation of the mechanical arrangement for controlling the travel of the back-massaging carriage.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. I the A reference numeral 15 designates a table, generally enclosed to be applied by the two end carriages of the table, and the cults of these motors and the panel is provided with meters that are direct'reuding in appropriate values such as pounds of conceal the internal mechanisms and resting on feet 16. The top 14 of the table 15, which is preferably removable, and on which a person to receive a treatment will rest, generally in a supine position, is provided with a cover 17 of durable flexible material, such as woven cloth or a synthetic leatherlike material, which also conceals the internal mechanisms of the table. The table may have, loosely resting thereon, comfort devices such as the convex bolster member I8 to be placed under the neck of the patient, and a supporting member 19 for the legs, as at the hollow of the knees.

At each end of the top of the table there is a longitudinally extending slot, designated 21 and 22, the former providing a clearance for movement of tracfion applying fixture 23 particularly intended for applying traction at the cranial extremity of the body and the other providing a clearance path for the ankle traction fixture 24 which has recesses or depressions 26 to support the ankles, and straps 27 for securing the ankles in the fixture. FIG. 1 also includes a showing of the control panel 28, the details of which will be set forth hereinafter.

When the top of table 15, which is the body support portion of the table, is removed the interior of the table is revealed as shown in FIG. 2. The table has a framework consisting of side rails 31 and end rails 32 secured to leg members 33. Secured to the leg members and extending longitudinally of the table from end to end are U-shaped channel iron members 34 mounted with their web portions vertical and their flanges extending inwardly toward a centerline of the table. The lower flanges are preferably wider than the upper ones, and have their edge portions turned upwardly parallel to web portions of the members 34, as shown in FIG. 7. The channel members 34 serve as rails for supporting and guiding the traction and massaging carriages and are spaced apart a suitable distance to accommodate the carriages. At the left-hand end of the table as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 the rails 34 support the traction carriage 36 to which is fitted traction fixture 23 for applying traction to thecranial extremity of the patient. At the opposite end of the table the rails support the traction carriage 37 for applying traction to the pedal extremity of the body. and inten'nediate the ends the rails 34 support the back-massaging carriage 38.

The details of the traction carriage 37 are shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Referring first to FIG. 4 it will be seen that the carriage 37 is provided at its opposite ends, near the top of the carriage, with pairs of rollers 40 and 41 rotatably supported on spindles 42 and 43 respectively. Intermediate its ends the carriage 37 is provided with a pair of rollers 44 freely rotatable on a spindle 46. The vertical spacing between the rollers 44 and the rollers 40 and 41 is not less than the thickness of the lower flange of the rail 34 but only slightly greater than the thickness of that flange so that as the rollers 40 and 41 rest on the upper surface of the lower flange of the rail the rollers 44 engage, or so nearly engage, the lower surface of the flange that upward movement of either end of the carriage relative to the lower flange of the rails is negligible.

At a distance from the right-hand end of the table, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, that is beyond the normal operational travel of the carriage 37, the lower flange of each of the rails 34 is provided with a cutout 47 of sufficient size to permit passage of the rollers 40 and 41 therethrough. The sides of the carriage 37 have no outside attachments extending above any part of the rollers 40 and 41. With this construction the carriage 37 may be installed in operative position relative to the rails 34 that are permanently secured to the table. This is accomplished by bringing the carriage 37 into position below the apertures 47, passing the rollers 41 through the apertures and into engagement with the upper surface of the lower flanges of the rails 34, moving the carriage rightwardly as viewed in FIG. 3, with the rollers 40 beneath the lower flanges of the rails 34, and then lifting the left-hand end of the carriage to pass the rollers 40 through the apertures and into supported relationship to the lower flange of the rail 34, thereby bringing the rollers 44 into position immediately beneath the flanges. After the carriage has been mounted on the rails a rod 48 is fitted into apertures in the web portions of the two rails directly above the apertures 47 and retained by any suitable means such as nuts fitting threaded ends of the rod to prevent the rollers 40 from falling through the apertures in the event that the carriage should move that far to the left.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the carriage 37 rotatably supports, on a shaft 51, a cylindrical body or arbor 52. A cable 53 has one end securely connected to rod 48 and extends from the rod around an idler or tensioning pulley 54, supported as will be described hereinafter, a plurality of turns around and in frictional engagement with the arbor 52, thence over idler pulleys 56 and 57 and a rod 58, supported as will be described hereinafter, and to a frame member 59 of the table, to which the other end of the cable is secured. The spindle 51 is connected through reduction gearing (not shown) to the drive shaft of a reversible electric motor structure designated by the reference numeral 61, and the arbor 52 is secured to the shaft 51. Disregarding for the moment the several idler pulleys 54, 56 and 57 it will be apparent that if arbor 52 is driven by the motor 61 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 it will take up on the portion of cable 53 that extends to the right and yield cable to the portion that extends to the left and will, therefore, propel the carriage to the right and as seen in FIG. 3 this is in the direction to apply traction to the ankle support fixture 24 of the table.

The idler pulley 54 is rotatably supported in a fork 62 carried at one end of a tensioning structure comprising spaced disks 64 and 66 between which a compression spring 67 is retained by a U-shaped wire 68 that engages the fork 62, and has its arms extending through disks 64 and 66 where the free ends of the arms have reverse bends. A similar U-shaped wire 69 is mounted on the spindle 43 and has its arms extending through apertures in disks 66 and 64 where it has reverse bends. The U-shaped wires 68 and 69 are in quadrature to one another.

Below and parallel to the spindle 43 the carriage 37 supports a spindle 71. This spindle rotatably supports the idler pulley 57 and pivotally supports a lever structure 72 comprised of complementary members 70 and 75 spaced apart by the pulley 57. The lever has arms 73 extending obliquely upwardly to the left as viewed in FIG. 5 and the idler pulley 56 is rotatably supported between the free ends of the arms 73. Below and to the left of spindle 71, as viewed in FIG. 5, tension springs 74 have one end hooked into cars 80 of the complementary members and 75 of the lever 72 and the other end retained in apertures in a block 76 that is held by a hook 77 retained in a bracket 78 by a nut 79 threaded on the shank of the hook 77. It will be apparent that springs 74 bias the lever 72 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5.

Consideration will now be given to the components of the carriage 37 thus far described when the motor 61 is set in operation to rotate the arbor 52 in clockwise direction after the ankles of a patient have been clamped in the ankle traction fixture 24. It will be supposed first that the ankle traction fixture 24 were to be connected to an immovable object on the table. The carriage 37 would thus be prevented from moving to the right, and with arbor 52 being rotated clockwise to take up the cable 53 the lever 72 would of necessity be rocked in counterclockwise direction, against the resistive tension of the springs 74 to yield cable to the arbor 52. The slack in the cable yielded by the arbor 52 would be taken up by the tensioning support for the idler pulley 54. Counterclockwise movement of the lever 72 as viewed in FIG. 5, would continue until the offset in the path of travel of the cable 53, established by the idler pulley 56 between the arbor 52 and the idler pulley 57 had been reduced to zero, or the tension of the spring 74 had become substantially equal to the tractive force of arbor 52 under the driving influence of the motor 61.

Since the patients ankles are not immovable objects, however, a different series of events will occur. The carriage 37 will move to the right without appreciable rotation of the lever 72 on its pivotal mounting while any slack in its connection to the patient is being taken up. As traction begins to build in the lower extremity of the patient, the rightward movement of the carriage 37 will be resisted and the lever 72 will begin to rotate in counterclockwise direction about its pivot, the springs 74 distending to accommodate this movement. It follows from this that the clockwise rotation of the arbor 52 by the motor 61 should be stopped when the desired traction has been applied to the pedal extremity of the patient.

Referring to FIG. 6 in which the opposite side of the lever 72 is viewed, as compared with FIG. 5, the reference numeral 81 designates a miniature electrical switch having an operating plunger 82. The switch 81 is carried by the lever 72. Actually, there are two such switches, the other, designated by the reference numeral 83, is shown in FIG. 4 but is behind the switch 81 in FIG. 6 and can not be seen. The operating plunger for the switch 83 is designated 84 in FIG. 6.

One wall of the carriage 37 is provided with a bracket 86 into which is threaded an adjustable stop 87 which is in the path of movement of the operating plunger 82 of the switch 81 and is adapted to serve as a limit stop for the lever 72 in its counterclockwise movement as viewed in FIG. 6, and which is its clockwise movement as viewed in FIG. 5. The position of the lever 72 in which the operating plunger 82 of the switch 81 is in engagement with the adjustable stop 87 may be considered as the normal or idle position of the lever 72 relative to the carriage 37, since with no restraint upon the carriage, the springs 74 will move the lever 72 to that position.

Below and in the path of the operating plunger 84 of the switch 83 an eccentrically mounted adjustable stop member 91 is fixed to a shaft 92 that is supported by the carriage 37. The shaft is connected through gears 93 and 94 to an electric motor 96 secured on the outside of one of the sidewalls of the carriage. If eccentrically mounted stop member 91 is in the position shown in FIG. 6 the lever 72 may move into the dotted line position before engagement of the operating plunger 84 of switch 83 with the stop member 91. If the adjustable stop member 91 is rotated in counterclockwise direction the lever 72 will be permitted to travel only a lesser distance in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6 before the operating plunger 84 of the switch engages the adjustable stop member 91. As will be set forth more fully hereinafter,

the switches81 and 83 are a part of the control circuitry for the reversible motor 61-that moves the carriage 37 to-and-fro.

When the motor 61 drives the carriage in the direction to apply tension to the pedal extremity of a patient the operating plunger 84 of the switch 83, upon coming into engagement with adjustable stop member 91 causes the opening of the operating circuit for the motor 61 and therefore limits the amount of traction that is applied to the patient. The greater the distance of the surface of adjustable stop member 91 from the operating plunger of switch 84 when the lever 72 is in its normal position, the greater will be the amount of traction applied to the patient. Because the motor 61 is reversible a positive drive is provided for moving the carriage 37 to the left as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5 to diminish the traction applied to the patient. The switch 81, when operated as the lever 72 returns to its normal position, opens the operating circuit of the motor 61 to suspend the driving of the carriage to the left as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5. 1n the event that the coefficient of friction between the arbor and the cable is insufficient to prevent slippage between them, the cable may be clamped to the arbor at a point on the cable that is not yielded by the arbor to the left or the right as the carriage 37 is moved to-and-fro on the table.

In order that is shall not be necessary to maintain the reversible motor 61 under torque when traction is being held on the patient, a brake mechanism is provided. The brake mechanism is comprised of a disk 101 which is secured to the shaft 51 of the carriage driving arbor 52, and a braking band 102. The disk 101 has a flat peripheral surface, and the braking band 102 has one end secured to the frame of the carriage by any convenient securing means 103, which might be a machine screw or a rivet, and the other end connected to the armature of a solenoid 104 which is also secured to the framework of the carriage. The braking band 102 extends around the periphery of the disk 101 for a distance preferably approaching 90 of the disk 101.

In one embodiment of the invention the braking band 103 is a length of thin spring steel, and the disk 101 is of composition material such as fiber or, if it is of metal, it may have a rim of material having a relatively high coefficient of friction by comparison with the braking band 102. When the solenoid is in the released condition the braking band is not engaged at any point with the disk 101, or engages the disk so lightly that the shaft 51 is free to turn. When the solenoid 104 becomes energized it draws the braking band 102 into engagement with the periphery of the disk 101, and the shaft 51 will be held stationary to hold the patient under traction when the circuit of the motor 61 is opened. As will be set forth hereinafter, the circuit of the solenoid 104 is established when the switch 83 operates under the control of eccentrically mounted stop 91 to open the driving circuit for the motor 61 and suspend the building-up of traction.

When the interval in which steady traction is to be held has terminated and the motor 61 is actuated in the reverse direction, the solenoid 104 is released to permit the carriage 37 to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 3. The energy stored in the body of the patient due to the stretching caused by the application of traction may be sufficient to move the carriage 37 leftwardly, before the motor 61 takes effect, particularly if the brake releases a moment before the circuit of the motor 61 is completed. If there if a significant delay in the activation of the motor, the natural contraction of the body of the patient might be sufficient to move the carriage back to its initial position with the operating plunger 82 of the switch 81 in engagement with the adjustable stop screw 87. In any event, whether by motor power or without it, the traction will be diminished to zero. The reversibility of the motor provides for movement of the carriage in either direction appreciable distances to pro vide different starting positions for the application of traction to patients of different heights.

The carriage 37 is provided with vertically mounted, oppositely faced identical channel members 98 and 99 which form a well to receive the arm 25 that mounts the ankle fixture 24.

As previously stated, the carriage 36 is used for applying traction at the cranial extremity of the patient and may be identical with the carriage 37. It is mounted on the rails 34 in an orientation of 180 relative to that of the carriage 37 so that whereas the reversible driving motor 61 for the carriage 37 is seen in front of the carriage in FIG. 3, the motor 96 for adjusting the eccentrically mounted adjustable stop member of the carriage 36 is seen in front of that carriage in the same figure. The cable 106 by which the carriage 36 is moved to-and-fro longitudinally of the table has one end connected to the bar 107 corresponding to the bar 48, and the other end connected to the frame member 108 which corresponds to the frame member 59. The carriage 36 may be installed on the rails 34 through the same apertures 48 through which the carriage 37 was installed in which case the carriage 36 must be installed before the carriage 38 is installed, or a set of apertures corresponding to the apertures 48 could be provided below the rod 107.

The fixture 23 for applying traction to the cranial extremity of the body of the patient is carried on an arm 1 11 that fits into the well in the carriage and extends into the slot 21 in the top of the table. At its free end the arm 111 carries a hollow tube 112 of rectangular cross section which slidably receives a supporting post 113 for the traction fixture 23. Post 113 isprovided with a plurality of holes extending transversely therethrough, any one of which may be aligned with a hole 114 in the tubular support for the post. The apertures in the post 1 13 provide for adjustment of the height of the fixture 23 relative to the table and a pin may be inserted into the hole in the tubular member and through any hole in the post 113 to hold the fixture 23 in the desired position. The fixture 23 has a row of holes 116 on its opposite sides, and these are adapted to receive hooks of a traction harness 117 that engages the head of the patient and that usually includes a strap that passes under the chin of the patient.

The massage carriage 38 is generally similar to the carriages 36 and 37. It is provided with rollers 121 and 122 at its opposite ends, corresponding to the rollers 41 and 40 respectively of the carriage 37, which ride on the rails 34. It does not require rollers below the rails, corresponding to the rollers 44 of the carriage 37 because its sole purpose is to thrust a set of massaging rollers upwardly against the patient. In the case of the traction carriages, the traction forces have a component that may tend to lift the carriages relative to the table, and the lifting component is resisted by the rollers 44 disposed below the rails 34.

FIG. 7 shows the carriage 38 viewed from the left-hand end as it appears in FIG. 3. The carriage has a driving arbor 126 that is secured to a shaft 127 extending transversely of the carriage. A reversible motor 128, which may be identical with the motor 61, is mounted on one side of the carriage 38 and drives the arbor 126 through reduction gearing (not shown). A cable 129 has a plurality of turns wrapped around the arbor 126 and is stretched taut between and secured to the transverse rods 48 and 107, to which the cables 53 and 106 for the carriages 37 and 36 respectively are connected. As the motor 128 is energized to drive in one direction or the other, it will move the carriage 38 to and fro longitudinally of the table. As with the other carriages, the cable 129 may be clamped to the arbor 126 to assure that there will be no slippage.

At one of its ends, the carriage 38 supports, extending transversely thereof, a bracket 131 which pivotally supports, on the opposite sides of the carriage, the arms 132. At their free ends, the arms 132 provide pivotal support for trunnions 134 of a cradle 133. The trunnions are located midway between the ends of the cradle. At its ends, the cradle 133 has transversely extending rods 136 which support freely rotatable spaced rollers 137. The cradle 133 is supported by a telescoping rod comprising a solid rod 141 pivotally mounted at the end of a supporting arm 142 and a hollow sleeve 143 suspended from one of the trunnions 134 of the cradle 133. A compression spring 144 is contained in the sleeve portion 143 of the telescoping rod and serves as a yieldable support for the cradle 133 relative to the solid rod 141 and its supporting arm 142.

The arm 142 that mounts the telescoping support for the cradle 133 is secured to a shaft 146 which is connected by reduction gearing, shown in FIG. 8 as a worm wheel 147 and worm 148, to a reversible motor 149. The motor 149 may be similar to the motors 96 that position the traction limit stops on the carriages 36 and 37. When the motor 149 drives in one direction, it rocks the arm 142 carried by the shaft 146 in clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 8 to raise the cradle 133 relative to the table. The top of the table is provided with an elongated opening in which the cradle 133 travels to-and-fro and when the cradle 133 is lifted, it presses upwardly against the flexible covering 17 for the top of table and applies pressure to the back of the patient lying supine upon the table. The normal position of the patient will be with the spine aligned with the middle of the table longitudinally, so that the rollers 137 will engage the patients back on opposite sides of the spinal column. The balanced pivotal mounting of the cradle 133 permits the cradle to rock about its point of pivotal mounting and accommodate itself to irregularities in the patients back. The spring 144 permits vertical accommodation of the rollers 137 to the patients back.

As stated hereinbefore the motors 96 and 149 are provided for adjusting the shafts 92 and 146 respectively in order to avoid direct mechanical control of those shafts from the control panel. It is necessary, of course, that the technician operating the table be able to know, in meaningful terms, the positions of these shafts when traction and massaging pressure are being applied to a patient. As a means for generating an indication of the position of the shaft, potentiometers are employed. As shown in FIG. 4 a potentiometer 151 mounted on a bracket 152 has its contactor mounted on a control shaft which, externally of the potentiometer, is a hollow sleeve 153. One end of the shaft 92 that supports the eccentrically mounted adjustable stop member 91 enters the sleeve 153 and connection to the sleeve is established as by means of a setscrew 154. As the motor 96 drives the eccentrically mounted stop member 91 in one direction or the other the contactor of the potentiometer 151 will traverse the resistive element of the potentiometer. The shaft 146 that mounts the supporting arm 142 for the massaging cradle 133 similarly has a potentiometer associated with it.

As shown in FIG. 1 the control panel 28 mounts electrical meters 171, 172 and 173. The electrical circuitry for these meters is shown in FIG. 9. The potentiometer 151 which is associated with the pedal extremity traction carriage 37 is connected across a source of direct current voltage. The meter 171, which may be a moving coil type of instrument, is connected through a variable resistor 157, which serves as a multiplier, to the contactor of the potentiometer 151. The variable multiplier 157 permits adjustment of the meter for full scale deflection at different settings of the potentiometer 151 and permits calibration of the potentiometer and meter combination to traction in terms of pounds, which is the unit of measurement displayed on the meter scale.

Below the meter 171 on the control panel 28 is a control switch 174 having a central normal position and operating positions in opposite directions (FIG. for driving the reversible motor 96 in one direction or the other. When the lever 72 on the carriage 37 is in its rest or extreme counterclockwise position, as viewed in FIG. 6, and if in this position of the lever the eccentrically mounted adjustable stop 91 is in a position where the operating plunger 84 of the switch 83 engages and has been operated by the stop, the meter 171 should have a zero scale reading. As motor 96 moves the adjustable stop 91 in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 6, under the control of switch 174, the meter 171, responding to the movement of the contactor of potentiometer 151, advances its pointer along its scale to register pounds of traction that the carriage will apply to the patient.

Similarly, the meter 173 is associated through a variable multiplier resistor 158 with the contactor of the potentiometer 159 which is associated with the carriage 36 that applies traction to the cranial extremity of the patients body. A meter 172 is connected through a variable multiplier resistor 161 to the contactor of the potentiometer 162 which is associated with the shaft 146 of the massaging carriage 38. The meter 172 also registers in pounds, this being pressure applied to the patients back. Switch 176, movable in either direction from a central position, controls the energization of the reversible motor 96 for the establishment of a traction limit for the carriage 36 and switch 177, operable to either of two positions, controls the application of pressure to the patient's back by the carriage 38.

FIG. 11 shows in simplified schematic form the control circuitry for the traction motors of the carriages 36 and 37. The schematic has been called simplified because not all biasing circuits for solid-state devices and not all dropping resistors have been shown, the circuitry being confined to paths over which controls are actually effected.

The motors 61 have been shown as being operative by alternating current. They may, in fact, be two motors having their rotors coupled, each arranged to drive in the direction opposite to the other. They could, however, be reversible single motors.

The switches 81 and 83 previously identified in the description of FIGS. 4 and 6, are shown in each of the carriages 36 and 37 in FIG. 11. It will be remembered that the switch 81 brings its operating plunger 82 into engagement with the stop 87 when the carriage is in the starting position, in which no traction is applied to the patient, and in this condition of the operating plunger 82 the switch 81 is open. When, incident to the application of traction, the lever 72 begins to move from its rest position the switch 81 closes. Similarly, the switch 83 is closed until its operating plunger 84 comes into engagement with the adjustable eccentrically mounted stop 91 to limit the amount of traction applied to the patient.

Any suitable form of switch may be employed for closing the operating circuits of the motor 61. Since one or the other of the switches 81 and 83 are closed when the carriage is in one or the other of its operational rest" positions, these switches are used only to control other switches through which the operating circuits of the motor 61 are completed. Solid-state switching devices known as triacs have been shown in FIG. 11 in association with the operating circuits of the motors 61. These are gate controlled devices equivalent to a pair of diodes connected in opposite directions so that they will pass alternating current when a proper DC potential is applied to the gate. Accordingly, the gates are connected to control circuits through the switches 81 and 83, a triac 181 being associated with the switch 81 to supply current for driving the motor 61 in the direction to relieve traction and the triac 183 being associated with switch 83 to drive motor 61 in the direction to apply traction. The switches 81 of the two carriages 36 and 37 are connected over paths 184 and 185 to the anodes of silicon controlled rectifiers 186 and 187 respectively. Similarly the switches 83 of the carriages 36 and 37 are connected over paths 188 and 189 to the anodes of silicon controlled rectifiers 191 and 192 respectively. The gates of the silicon'controlled rectifiers 186 and 187 are connected in parallel to one of the output terminals 193 of a multivibrator 195, which may have transistors as its commutating elements and is of conventional configuration. For this reason the circuit details have not been shown. The gates of the two siliconcontrolled rectifiers 191 and 192 are connected to the output terminal 194 of the multivibrator 195.

With the anodes of the silicon controlled rectifiers 186 and 187 connectable through the switches 81 to the gates of the triac 181 as their source of current the silicon controlled rectifiers will be conductive when the multivibrator 195 is in one of its operative conditions, and nonconductive in the other if its operative conditions, and upon the establishment of conductivity in the silicon controlled rectifiers 186 and 187 by their gates the triacs 181 will be activated to drive the carriages to the position in which traction is relieved. When the switches 81 open the conductivity through triacs 181 will be cut off and the carriages will be stopped. correspondingly, when the carriages are in the position of relieving traction the switches 83 are closed and upon a reversal of the multivibrator 195 the triacs 183 will be rendered operative by the silicon controlled rectifiers 191 and 192 to move the carriages in the direction to apply traction.

The two sides of the multivibrator 195 receive their biasing potentials through variable resistors 196 and 197 which are resistive components of the resistive-capacitative crosscouplings that control the duration of the half-cycles of the multivibrator 195. These variable resistors are represented by the corresponding numerals applied to control knobs on the control panel 28 in FIG. 1.

Mounted on the control panel and shown also in FIG. 1 1 is a single-pole, three-position switch 201 for controlling the mode of operation of the carriage 36. The switch has three positions, the center position establishing an off condition for the carriage, the lower providing a static condition in which the carriage will be driven to a position to apply traction without interruption, and the upper position placing the carriage under the control of the multivibrator 195, for alternate application and relief of traction. A similar switch 202 provides for the same type of control of the carriage 37. The switches 201 and 202 appear on control panel 28.

A single-pole, double-throw master switch, identified by reference number 203, is associated with a conventional mechanical timer which, when set in operation by means of a control knob, runs for a period of time dependent upon the extent of advancement of a control knob, the knob returning during its timing period, to the initial position. The switch 203 is associated with the timer that it goes off normal when the timer is activated and returns to normal at the end of the timing interval.

With the switch 203 in the normal position a path is traced from negative battery through two diodes in the cathode-to anode direction to the paths 184 and 185- for controlling the triacs 181. Since an idle condition is assumed to exist the switches 81 will be open and the negative potential will not be applied to the gates of the triacs 181. The anodes of the two diodes are also connected to the center or off terminals of the switches 201 and 202 but the paths of contactors of those switches include diodes in the anode-to-cathode direction which block those paths to negative potential.

In order that the table shall accommodate patients of varying heights without providing harness straps of different lengths for attachment to the carriage 36 it is desirable to be able to move one of the carriages to an optimum starting point for each patient. The carriages 37 which has the ankle engaging fixture 24 has been adapted to this operation. As seen in FIG. 11 a single-pole, three position switch 204 has its contactor connected to the triac control path 185, one of its terminals to the gate of triac 181 and the other terminal to the path 189 over which the triac 183 is controllable. With the master switch 203 in the normal position negative battery is connected to path 185 through the diode in the forward direction for that polarity. Thus, if switch 204 should be closed to its upper contact, as shown in FIG. 11, a shunt will be established across the open switch 81 and triac 181 will be rendered conductive while the switch remains operated to cause the motor to drive the carriage to the left as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, thereby positioning the carriage for applying traction to a short patient. if, instead, switch 204 is closed to its lower contact the battery connection will be extended through the closed switch 83 to render triac 183 conductive and move carriage to the right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 to accommodate it to a taller patient. The switch 204 is preferably spring-biased to be self-returning to its off position.

After the carriage 37 has been correctly positioned and the traction connections have been established from extremities given to the patient, and this causes an operation of switch 203 to its off-normal condition. With the switch 203 thus operated the negative battery connection on its swinger is extended through diode 211 in the forward direction, the right-hand armature and back contact of the relay 212 and to the contactors of the mode switches 201 and 202 through individual diodes in the forward direction. Because it has been assumed that the switch 201 has been placed in the intermittent mode the connection is extended to the cathodes of the silicon con trolled rectifiers 186 and ,191 and through diode 213 in the forward direction to multivibrator 195, thereby activating that circuit. The negative battery connection is also extended through the diode in the forward direction and the swinger of switch 202 and its static contact to the path 189. The connection is extended over this path and through the switch 83 to render the triac 183 conductive and apply traction to the pedal extremity by moving carriage 37 to the right as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. No return path for the cathodes of the silicon controlled diodes 187 and 192 is provided at switch 202 in the static condition so that these diodes will remain nonconductive and the triac 181 can not become conductive to cause the traction applied by carriage 37 to be released. However, as the multivibrator 195 proceeds with its oscillatory activity the silicon controlled rectifiers 186 and 191 will be rendered conductive and nonconductive in alternation to cause the carriage 36 to move to-and-fro, applying and relieving the traction. When the switch 83 opens as the carriage 36 moves to the left, applying traction, it opens the path for gate current in the triac 183 and that device becomes nonconductive, stopping the motor 61. The carriage is held in the leftward position by the brake controlled by the solenoid 104, the operation of which will be described hereinafter. When, following the stopping and holding of the carriage 36 in the position of applying traction, the multivibrator 195 reverses, it activates the triac 181 to cause the carriage to move to the right, to relieve the traction, and incident to that action the carriage brake is released. As previously stated the contraction of the body of the patient upon the release of the brake may return the carriage 36 rightwardly to the point where the switch 81 opens almost before the motor 61 has an opportunity to move the carriage to the right. However, the motor 61 assures movement of the carriage until the traction has been relieved and switch 81 opens.

As shown in FIG. 11 a shunt path across the two primary terminals of the triac 183 includes a resistor 206, the winding of the solenoid 104 shunted by a capacitor 207, and a silicon controlled rectifier 208. The triac 181 has a shunt path across its primary terminals, including a resistor 214, a diode 215 and a resistor 216 with a connection from the junction of resistor 216 and the cathode of diode 215 to the gate of the siliconcontrolled rectifier 208. Any time that triac 181 is nonconductive a small amount of current will flow through the motor and be rectified by the diode 215. The current is insufficient to have any effect on the motor but provides a positive bias on the gate of silicon-controlled rectifier 208. The path including the silicon controlled rectifier 208 will draw a small amount of current through the other winding of the motor 61 when it is forward biased at its gate and this rectified current will energize the solenoid 104, the capacitor 207 preventing the release of the solenoid during the negative half-cycles. The brake will thus be applied providing the triac 183 is not conductive because when it does conduct to operate the motor 61 to apply traction it becomes a short circuit across the solenoid operating path and causes the release of the brake. Similarly when the triac 181 is conductive to cause the motor61 to operate to relieve the traction it short circuits the path including the diode 215 and removes the forward bias from siliconcontrolled rectifier 208. In this way the brake operates only when the carriage is in either of its stop positions.

When the mechanical timing unit times out the interval for which it was set it returns the switch 203 to its normal condition. This removes operating potentials for the multivibrator and its associated silicon-controlled rectifiers, eliminating further control of the operating motors 61 of the carriages 36 and 37 by the timing circuitry. If at the time of restoration of the switch 203 to normal the carriages are in the condition of applying traction the switches 81 will be closed. As previously stated the control paths 184 and 185 are connected through diodes to the normal terminal of the switch 203 and the polarity applied to the normal contact is in the forward direction so that the triacs 181 will be rendered conductive to relieve the traction. Since it had been assumed that the static mode of control had been applied to the carriage 37 the switch 81 will be closed and the carriage will be operated to relieve traction.

The table is provided with a control operable by the patient to relieve traction if it produces an intolerable discomfort. The control is in the form of a manually operable pushbutton switch 221 which is on the end of a flexible cable and may be held by the patient during the treatment. Upon operation of switch 221 it completes the energizing circuit for the relay 212 through the off-normal contact and contactor of the timer controlled switch 203. The switch 221 also completes the circuit of an alarm bell 222. The relay 212 locks through its lefthand armature and front contact, its winding and the off-normal contact of the switch 203. The front contact associated with the right-hand armature of the relay 212 is connected to the same paths as the normal contact switch 203, so that the circuitry returns to the same negatively terminated condition that it does when the switch 203 returns to normal except that the relay 212 remains locked up. Thus the traction is relieved and the intennittent reapplication of traction is suspended. A blocking diode in the energizing circuit of the relay 212 prevents continuous operation of alarm bell 222 through the left-hand armature and front contact that provide the locking circuit. The patient can, however, repeat the operation of the alarm bell 222 by repetitious closure of the pushbutton switch 221. In order for normal operation of the table to be restored it is necessary for an attendant to operate the timer control knob to the zero position, thereby restoring the switch 203 to normal and opening the locking circuit for the relay 212.

As shown in FIG. 11 the motor 128 for the carriage 38 is energizable over either of two paths. The motor 128 has its common terminal connected to one side of a source of alternating current, as is the case with motors 61, and its reversing terminals connected to the terminals of a single-pole, doublethrow switch 218. The contactor of the switch 218 is connected to the on terminal of an "on-ofi switch 219 which is located on the control panel 28. The contactor of the "on-off" switch 219 is connected to one of the two principal terminals of a triac 223 which has its other principal terminal connected to the opposite side of the source of alternating current. The gate of the triac 223 is connected to the back contact associated with the right-hand armature of the relay 212 through path 224 and diode 225, the connection of which is in the forward direction for the negative polarity that is applied to the path through the diode 211 when the timer switch 203 is operated to activate the table. When the switch 203 is thus operated the negative potential applied to the gate of the triac 223 renders the triac conductive, but the motor 128 will not be rendered operative unless and until the switch 219 is operated to the on position. It follows from this that traction may be applied to a patient without massaging of the back by means of the carriage 38, merely by leaving the switch 219 unoperated. The inclusion of the triac 223 under control of the timer switch 203 and also under the control of the relay 212 places the carriage 38 under the control of the patients pushbutton switch 221 so that the motor 128 for driving the carriage 38 will be shut down along with the motors 61 if the patient operates the switch 221. The triac 223 also serves as a switch for a vibrator motor 231, the circuit including variable resistor 232. The motor 231 is mounted on the underside of the massaging roller cradle 133 of the carriage 38, and when the motor is running it imparts vibration to the carriage because the rotor is intentionally unbalanced. The variable resistor 232 provides for control of the intensity of vibration and the resistor 232 appears on the panel 28 of the table.

As shown in FIG. 12 the switch 218 that controls the direction of movement of the carriage 38 is mounted on the outer surface of the wall of the carriage that faces the front of the table and is a toggle type switch with the operating lever extending vertically from the switch case. Bars 227 that are slidably positionable along a slot 229 in the panel 28, an are provided with locking knobs 228, have their inner ends presented on opposite sides of and in the path of the operating lever of the switch 218, so as to be able to effect reversals of the switch. Since the slidable bars 227 are adjustable along the slot 229 each may be positioned selectively to determine the location and extent of travel of the carriage.

The table may be provided with means for applying heat to a patient, in the form of resistance wire, beneath the flexible covering of the table on which the patient lies, and distributed principally over an area on which the patients back will be resting. The intensity of the heat may be varied by means of a rheostat, and the control knob 236 on the panel 28 represents such a heat intensity control.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for applying multidirectional therapeutic traction to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in an outstretched positron;

rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof;

at least two carriages supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table;

means for connecting the two carriages to the extremities of the body;

means for imparting movement to the carriages in opposite directions to apply tensioning forces to the body, and

progressively reactive means on each carriage adapted to react to changing amounts of tensioning forces and effective upon reacting to a predetermined extent to cause arrestment of its carriage.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the progressively reactive means comprises;

a movable element biased in opposition to reactive response to increasing tensioning force applied to the body, and

a stop for limiting the movement of the movable element.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means operable incident to engagement of the movable element with the stop for disabling the carriage movement imparting means and thereby limiting the amount of traction applied to the body.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the progressively reactive means comprises:

a movable element biased in opposition to reactive response to increasing tensioning force applied to the body and having a predetermined rest position upon the carriage in the absence of a tensioned connection to the body, and

an adjustable stop affording selectively variable extents of movement of the movable element from its rest position to cause arrestment of the carriage upon engagement of the movable element with the adjustable stop and thereby to limit to selectively predetermined amounts the traction applied to the body.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means for imparting movement to the carriages includes facilities for positively moving the carriages in both directions of their toand-fro movement, and in which the progressively reactive means further comprises:

a second stop for determining the rest position of the movable element, and

means operable incident to movement of the movable member into engagement with the second stop for disabling the carriage movement imparting means.

6. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in a supine position;

rail members extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body-supporting surface thereof;

a wheeled body treatment carriage supported by the rail members for to and fro movement longitudinally of the table; I

a rotatable member supported by the carriage with its axis extending transversely to the carriage;

means for imparting rotation to the rotatable member in either direction, and

an elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table whereby rotation of the rotatable member in engagement with the flexible member causes movement of the carriage along the supporting rails.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member extends in opposite directions from the point of engagement with the rotatable member to its secured ends.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member is secured at at least one point on its length to the rotatable member and has a sufficient number of turns around the rotatable member to accommodate to and fro travel of the carriage along the rails for the intended operational distance.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member is a cord.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including means yieldably engaging the flexible means between one of its ends and the rotatable member for variably offsetting that portion of the flexible member from conformity to a direct path and for thereby diminishing the extent of movement of the carriage relative to the amount of peripheral motion of the rotatable member in engagement with flexible member during rota.- tion of the rotatable member.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 including means associated with the yieldably engaging means for resisting diminution in the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the resisting means comprises a spring biasing the yieldably engaging means in a direction of increase in the amount of the offset.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 including adjustable means for limiting the extent of movement of the yieldably engaging means in the direction of dimunition in the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.-

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 in which the yieldingly engageable means is a pivotally mounted member supporting at a distance from its pivot a rotatable member engaging the flexible member. and the adjustable limiting means is a rotatably mounted eccentric disposed in the path of pivotal movement of the yieldingly engageable means.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including means operable jointly by the pivotally mounted means and the adjustable limiting means to suspend operation of the rotation imparting means.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 including timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval to reactivate the rotation imparting means in the direction of enlargement of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including a fixed limiting means on the opposite side of the pivotally mounted member from the adjustable limiting means for limiting movement of the pivotally mounted member in the direction of enlargement of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 including means operable conjointly by the pivotally mounted member and the fixed limiting means to suspend operation of the rotation imparting means.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 including timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval for reactivating the rotation imparting means in the direction of diminution of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 including oscillatory timing means for activating the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in either direction a predetermined interval after the activation of the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in the other direction.

21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 including master timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval for deactivating the oscillatory timing means and thereby causing cessation of the to-and-fro movement of the carriage.

22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 in which the oscillatory timing means is a multivibrator having one of its output terminals connected to cause activation of the rotation impartingmeans to move the carriage in one direction and having its other output terminal connected to cause activation of the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in the other direction.

23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 including adjustable means associated with the multivibrator for independently setting the duration of each of the alternate half-cycles of the multivibrator within a predetermined range of durations.

24. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 including selectively operable means for causing activation of the rotation imparting means in the direction to apply a tensioning force to the human body and for overriding operational control of the rotation imparting means by the multivibrator.

25. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 including a second carriage duplicating the other carriage.

26. Apparatus in accordance with claim 25 including an elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member of the second carriage and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table.

27. Apparatus in accordance with claim 25 including oscillatory timing means common to the two carriages for activating the rotation imparting means of one carriage to move that carriage in either direction a predetermined interval after the actuation of its rotation imparting means to move it in the other direction, and for activating the rotation imparting means of the other carriage to cause simultaneously initiated movements of said other carriage in directions opposite to those of said one carriage.

28. Apparatus in accordance with claim 27 including selectively operable means individual to each of the two carriages for causing activation of the rotation imparting means of the carriage in the direction to apply a tensioning force to the human body and for overriding operational control of the rotation imparting means of that carriage by the oscillatory timing means.

29. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including a support for the eccentric comprising:

a rotatable shaft, and

motor means for rotating the shaft.

30. Apparatus in accordance with claim 29 including:

a control panel, and

means on the control panel for starting, stopping and reversing the motor means.

31. Apparatus in accordance with claim 29 including indicator means associated with the rotatable shaft for assuming positions indicative of the orientation of the eccentric relative to the pivotally mounted member.

32. Apparatus in accordance with claim 31 including:

a control panel, and

display means on the control panel for representing analogically the positions assumed by the indicator means.

33. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including:

a potentiometer comprised of contactor means and resistive means engaged by the contactor means and having one of said means connected to the rotatably mounted eccentric and the other of said means stationarily mounted;

a potential difference source connected to the potentiometer, and

an electrical meter connected to the potentiometer to register the potential difference across a portion of the potentiometer and thereby represent analogically the orientation of the eccentric relative to the pivotally mounted member.

34. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in a supine position;

rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof;

a carriage supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table;

means for imparting movement to the carriage in opposite directions;

a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends;

a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carriage;

a rocker shaft supported by the carriage;

an arm having one end secured to the shaft;

a post having one end pivotally associated with said arm and the other end engaging one of the trunnion pivots of the cradle;

means for rocking the shaft to cause raising or lowering of the post and correspondingly raising or lowering of the cradle; and

a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.

35. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in a supine position;

rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof;

a carriage supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table;

a rotatable member supported by the carriage with its axis extending transversely of the carriage;

means for imparting rotation to the rotatable member in either direction;

elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table whereby rotation of the rotatable member in engagement with the flexible member causes movement of the carriage along the supporting rails;

a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends;

a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carrrage;

means for supporting trunnion pivots f the cradle, and

a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.

36. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in a supine position;

rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof;

a carriage supported by the rails for to and fro movement longitudinally of the table;

means for imparting movement to the carriage in opposite directions;

a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends;

a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carnage;

a telescopic post for supporting the trunnion pivots of the cradle comprising a first support member and a hollow tubular second support member slidably receiving internally the first support member;

means for connecting one of the support members to a trunnion pivot ofthe cradle;

means for connecting the other support member to the carrra e;

a con ipression spring confined within the tubular support member and engaging the other support member to accommodate vertical movement of the cradle relative to the carriage; and

a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.

37. Apparatus in accordance with claim 34 including:

motor means for rocking the shaft;

a control panel, and

motor control means on the control panel for starting,

stopping and reversing the motor.

38. Apparatus in accordance with claim 37 including indicator means associated with the rocker shaft for assuming positions indicative of the orientation, the arm interconnecting the shaft and the post.

39. Apparatus in accordance with claim 38 including display means on the control panel controlled by the indicator means for representing analogically the positions assumed by the indicator means.

40. Apparatus in accordance with claim 39 including:

a potentiometer comprised of contactor means and resistive means engaged by the contactor means and having one of said means connected to the rocker shaft and the other of said means stationarily mounted;

a potential difference source connected to the potentiometer, and

an electrical meter connected to the potentiometer to register the potential difference across a portion of the potentiometer and thereby represent analogically the orientation of arm on the shaft.

41. Apparatus for applying multidirectional therapeutic traction to the human body which comprises:

a table for supporting a human body in an outstretched position;

rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof;

a wheeled carriage supported by the rails at one end of the table for movement to and fro longitudinally of the table;

means including a vertically adjustable fixture mounted on the carriage and a traction harness connected to the fixture and engageable with the cranial extremity of the body whereby the angle of application of traction to the cranial extremity of the body relative to the plane of the body supporting surface of the table may be varied;

a second wheeled carriage supported by the rails at the other end of the table for movement to and fro longitudinally ofthe table;

a fixture mounted on the second carriage having means for engaging the pedal extremity of the body;

means for imparting movement to and fro to the carriages individually to apply and relieve tensioning forces to the extremities of the body;

reactive means on each carriage adapted to react to changing amounts of tensioning forces and effective upon reacting to a selectably predetermined extent to cause arrestment of its carriage and thereby to limit to selectively predetermined amounts the traction applied to each extremity of the body;

a third wheeled carriage supported by the rails intermediate the other two carriages for movement to-and-fro longitudinally of the table;

reversible means for driving the third carriage to-and-fro;

adjustably positionable means for determining the extent of movement of the third carriage in each direction and for effecting reversal of the reversible driving means, and

vertically adjustable yieldable means mounted on the third carriage for exerting pressure against the body while traversing the body to-and-fro.

t I? fi 

1. Apparatus for applying multidirectional therapeutic traction to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in an outstretched position; rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof; at least two carriages supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table; means for connecting the two carriages to the extremities of the body; means for imparting movement to the carriages in opposite directions to apply tensioning forces to the body, and progressively reactive means on each carriage adapted to react to changing amounts of tensioning forces and effective upon reacting to a predetermined extent to cause arrestment of its carriage.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the progressively reactive means comprises; a movable element biased in opposition to reactive response to increasing tensioning force applied to the body, and a stop for limiting the movement of the movable element.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means operable incident to engagement of the movable element with the stop for disabling the carriage movement imparting means and thereby limiting the amount of traction applied to the body.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the progressively reactive means comprises: a movable element biased in opposition to reactive response to increasing tensioning force applied to the body and having a predetermined rest position upon the carriage in the absence of a tensioned connection to the body, and an adjustable stop afforDing selectively variable extents of movement of the movable element from its rest position to cause arrestment of the carriage upon engagement of the movable element with the adjustable stop and thereby to limit to selectively predetermined amounts the traction applied to the body.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means for imparting movement to the carriages includes facilities for positively moving the carriages in both directions of their to-and-fro movement, and in which the progressively reactive means further comprises: a second stop for determining the rest position of the movable element, and means operable incident to movement of the movable member into engagement with the second stop for disabling the carriage movement imparting means.
 6. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in a supine position; rail members extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body-supporting surface thereof; a wheeled body treatment carriage supported by the rail members for to and fro movement longitudinally of the table; a rotatable member supported by the carriage with its axis extending transversely to the carriage; means for imparting rotation to the rotatable member in either direction, and an elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table whereby rotation of the rotatable member in engagement with the flexible member causes movement of the carriage along the supporting rails.
 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member extends in opposite directions from the point of engagement with the rotatable member to its secured ends.
 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member is secured at at least one point on its length to the rotatable member and has a sufficient number of turns around the rotatable member to accommodate to and fro travel of the carriage along the rails for the intended operational distance.
 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the flexible member is a cord.
 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including means yieldably engaging the flexible means between one of its ends and the rotatable member for variably offsetting that portion of the flexible member from conformity to a direct path and for thereby diminishing the extent of movement of the carriage relative to the amount of peripheral motion of the rotatable member in engagement with flexible member during rotation of the rotatable member.
 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 including means associated with the yieldably engaging means for resisting diminution in the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.
 12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which the resisting means comprises a spring biasing the yieldably engaging means in a direction of increase in the amount of the offset.
 13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 including adjustable means for limiting the extent of movement of the yieldably engaging means in the direction of dimunition in the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.
 14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 in which the yieldingly engageable means is a pivotally mounted member supporting at a distance from its pivot a rotatable member engaging the flexible member and the adjustable limiting means is a rotatably mounted eccentric disposed in the path of pivotal movement of the yieldingly engageable means.
 15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including means operable jointly by the pivotally mounted means and the adjustable limiting means to suspend operation of the rotation imparting means.
 16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 including timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval to reActivate the rotation imparting means in the direction of enlargement of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.
 17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including a fixed limiting means on the opposite side of the pivotally mounted member from the adjustable limiting means for limiting movement of the pivotally mounted member in the direction of enlargement of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.
 18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 including means operable conjointly by the pivotally mounted member and the fixed limiting means to suspend operation of the rotation imparting means.
 19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 including timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval for reactivating the rotation imparting means in the direction of diminution of the amount of the offset in the path of the flexible member.
 20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 including oscillatory timing means for activating the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in either direction a predetermined interval after the activation of the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in the other direction.
 21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 including master timing means operable upon timing a predetermined interval for deactivating the oscillatory timing means and thereby causing cessation of the to-and-fro movement of the carriage.
 22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 in which the oscillatory timing means is a multivibrator having one of its output terminals connected to cause activation of the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in one direction and having its other output terminal connected to cause activation of the rotation imparting means to move the carriage in the other direction.
 23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 including adjustable means associated with the multivibrator for independently setting the duration of each of the alternate half-cycles of the multivibrator within a predetermined range of durations.
 24. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 including selectively operable means for causing activation of the rotation imparting means in the direction to apply a tensioning force to the human body and for overriding operational control of the rotation imparting means by the multivibrator.
 25. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 including a second carriage duplicating the other carriage.
 26. Apparatus in accordance with claim 25 including an elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member of the second carriage and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table.
 27. Apparatus in accordance with claim 25 including oscillatory timing means common to the two carriages for activating the rotation imparting means of one carriage to move that carriage in either direction a predetermined interval after the actuation of its rotation imparting means to move it in the other direction, and for activating the rotation imparting means of the other carriage to cause simultaneously initiated movements of said other carriage in directions opposite to those of said one carriage.
 28. Apparatus in accordance with claim 27 including selectively operable means individual to each of the two carriages for causing activation of the rotation imparting means of the carriage in the direction to apply a tensioning force to the human body and for overriding operational control of the rotation imparting means of that carriage by the oscillatory timing means.
 29. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including a support for the eccentric comprising: a rotatable shaft, and motor means for rotating the shaft.
 30. Apparatus in accordance with claim 29 including: a control panel, and means on the control panel for starting, stopping and reversing the motor means.
 31. Apparatus in accordance with claim 29 includiNg indicator means associated with the rotatable shaft for assuming positions indicative of the orientation of the eccentric relative to the pivotally mounted member.
 32. Apparatus in accordance with claim 31 including: a control panel, and display means on the control panel for representing analogically the positions assumed by the indicator means.
 33. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 including: a potentiometer comprised of contactor means and resistive means engaged by the contactor means and having one of said means connected to the rotatably mounted eccentric and the other of said means stationarily mounted; a potential difference source connected to the potentiometer, and an electrical meter connected to the potentiometer to register the potential difference across a portion of the potentiometer and thereby represent analogically the orientation of the eccentric relative to the pivotally mounted member.
 34. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in a supine position; rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof; a carriage supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table; means for imparting movement to the carriage in opposite directions; a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends; a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carriage; a rocker shaft supported by the carriage; an arm having one end secured to the shaft; a post having one end pivotally associated with said arm and the other end engaging one of the trunnion pivots of the cradle; means for rocking the shaft to cause raising or lowering of the post and correspondingly raising or lowering of the cradle; and a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.
 35. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in a supine position; rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof; a carriage supported by the rails for to-and-fro movement longitudinally of the table; a rotatable member supported by the carriage with its axis extending transversely of the carriage; means for imparting rotation to the rotatable member in either direction; an elongated flexible member having a plurality of turns around and in engagement with the rotatable member and having its ends secured to structural elements of the table at points spaced from one another longitudinally of the table whereby rotation of the rotatable member in engagement with the flexible member causes movement of the carriage along the supporting rails; a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends; a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carriage; means for supporting trunnion pivots of the cradle, and a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.
 36. Apparatus for applying therapeutic treatment to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in a supine position; rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof; a carriage supported by the rails for to and fro movement longitudinally of the table; means for imparting movement to the carriage in opposite directions; a cradle having trunnion pivots midway between its ends; a pair of links connecting the trunnion pivots to the carriage; a telescopic post for supporting the trunnion pivots of the cradle comprising a first support member and a hollow tubular second support member slidably receiving internally the first support member; means for connecting one of the support members to a trunnion pivOt of the cradle; means for connecting the other support member to the carriage; a compression spring confined within the tubular support member and engaging the other support member to accommodate vertical movement of the cradle relative to the carriage; and a pair of spaced rollers at each end of the cradle for applying pressure against the back of a human body supported by the table.
 37. Apparatus in accordance with claim 34 including: motor means for rocking the shaft; a control panel, and motor control means on the control panel for starting, stopping and reversing the motor.
 38. Apparatus in accordance with claim 37 including indicator means associated with the rocker shaft for assuming positions indicative of the orientation, the arm interconnecting the shaft and the post.
 39. Apparatus in accordance with claim 38 including display means on the control panel controlled by the indicator means for representing analogically the positions assumed by the indicator means.
 40. Apparatus in accordance with claim 39 including: a potentiometer comprised of contactor means and resistive means engaged by the contactor means and having one of said means connected to the rocker shaft and the other of said means stationarily mounted; a potential difference source connected to the potentiometer, and an electrical meter connected to the potentiometer to register the potential difference across a portion of the potentiometer and thereby represent analogically the orientation of arm on the shaft.
 41. Apparatus for applying multidirectional therapeutic traction to the human body which comprises: a table for supporting a human body in an outstretched position; rails extending longitudinally of the table beneath the body supporting surface thereof; a wheeled carriage supported by the rails at one end of the table for movement to and fro longitudinally of the table; means including a vertically adjustable fixture mounted on the carriage and a traction harness connected to the fixture and engageable with the cranial extremity of the body whereby the angle of application of traction to the cranial extremity of the body relative to the plane of the body supporting surface of the table may be varied; a second wheeled carriage supported by the rails at the other end of the table for movement to and fro longitudinally of the table; a fixture mounted on the second carriage having means for engaging the pedal extremity of the body; means for imparting movement to and fro to the carriages individually to apply and relieve tensioning forces to the extremities of the body; reactive means on each carriage adapted to react to changing amounts of tensioning forces and effective upon reacting to a selectably predetermined extent to cause arrestment of its carriage and thereby to limit to selectively predetermined amounts the traction applied to each extremity of the body; a third wheeled carriage supported by the rails intermediate the other two carriages for movement to-and-fro longitudinally of the table; reversible means for driving the third carriage to-and-fro; adjustably positionable means for determining the extent of movement of the third carriage in each direction and for effecting reversal of the reversible driving means, and vertically adjustable yieldable means mounted on the third carriage for exerting pressure against the body while traversing the body to-and-fro. 